Samal Island promotion?
Let me start as follows: for all those, who don’t know anything about Samal Island - here are some briefly explanations:
Samal Island covers a total area of more than 30,000 hectares. The main island stretches about 34 kilometers between the southern tip of Panabo City, Davao del Norte and the mouth of Davao Gulf. It’s meanwhile called the Island Garden City of Samal or IGACoS. There is no dry season. It’s only ten minutes by launch from Davao City via Babak (the nearest) though there are some routes in Samal and Kaputian. I always enjoy taking a bus from Lanang or Boulevard in Davao City via ferryboat to the Central Ware House terminal in Peneplata on Samal Island.
I haven’t been on Samal Island since almost three months. The launching of “Precious Garden” in Miranda (five minutes away from Babak harbour, if one takes a tricycle) has been a very good reason to go there again. “Precious Garden” is owned by my good friend Ulrich Kronberg (German publisher, book author and journalist, based in Hamburg - maybe you remember my column in his SAMALNEWS) and his wife Preciosa “Kikay”. You can hang out in “Precious Garden” for some drinks at the bar, or enjoy a coffee in the coffee shop, or, you can have your lunch or dinner, or, as a Samal resident, you are able to buy European goods there, if you don’t have the time to rush to Davao City. - In December a pizzeria is be planning be launched - also plans for a hotel with swimming pool have been mentioned scheduled for 2009.
Being again on Samal Island because of that occasion, I could feel again my desire to live here - or, to visit this beautiful island more often in future.
You can really enjoy wonderful beaches all around the island. The water is excellent for scuba and snorkeling. I love nature as well as adventures - so, visiting Samal can never be complete without going to natural springs which the island presents.
Are you a diver? Try the Coral Garden and Marine Park in Linosutan or Isla Reta or Malipano Island. Visit the Hagimit Falls in Cawag or the Mago-gawon Falls in Tagbaobo.
There are many little caves in this island. The Baga Cave is the biggest.
You can climb and conquer Puting Bato, the highest mountain peak, around 1350 feet above sea level. One of the highlights is the Annual IGaCoS Festival as they’re founding anniversary at every 7th day of March.
Does Samal Island still need more promotion? Actually not. I just wanted to voice out, that it is really one of my hidden paradises. And - it’s big enough still to find hidden places… .
Great! Unbelievable!
Hello Uli, if you are reading this, thank you for dropping your magazine over. Sorry for missing you. Maybe next time, we can return to your place to try out your coffee and pizza.
Ellen
Hi Ellen, thanks for posting your comment here. I am sure Uli will read it… .
Samal Island sounds like a nice place to go to live thanks Klaus for the info.i’lll go check it out…. Phil R
Hi Klaus, just wondering, what kind of European goods they have there. Any goat cheese - the brown kind?
Hi Phil R., thank you too. yeah, you should really go there and check it out…
Hi Ellen, of course, they just started with sun dried tomatoes in special herbs, mixed pickles, and many other things, which can be found also in deli shops in Davao. Brown goat cheese
- strange… I love the white one instead… 
Hi Klaus, you’ve never tried brown goat cheese? - yumyum - it melts in your mouth.
Hi Ellen, honestly not, even having Greek friends before. They never told me. Okay, I will research where to get it and i will try.,…
Hi Klaus, am not so sure greeks use brown cheese. I think this is more Scandinavian - called brunost in Norwegian. Check the wiki page on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gjetost
Hi ellen, thanks a lot. I will check it out… Stay safe…
Hi Klaus,
Greetings from Tokyo!
Thanks for the nice column, and that makes me want to visit the island. Maybe next time I’m in Davao City, I should visit there. Have you ever been to Talicud Island? That’s where I want to be too! Few Japanese people know about both islands…
Just wondering what’s going on with the bridge project. Have you got any info on that?
Hi Klaus
Please can you tell me if your friend has rooms? I am batteling to find a quite, cheap place for us to stay for a few days. We live in Davao and want to get away for a couple of days. We are not allowed to travel by bus anywhere out of Davao and dont want to spend the money on flights to Manlia or Cebu. If you or anyone else has any suggestions I would be very happy. Also now to be fussy,,, would prefer something that you dont look straight over to davao (sounds crazy but there it is). Would love the other side of Samal but cant find any resorts with contact details. I have learned that usually someone knows someone. Thank you
Hi Carolynn- I do know that there are a few resorts on the other side of the island, but unfortunately, I don’t remember the names or have contact details…. Hopefully somebody else will chime in with more info.
Hi Bob
Thanks anyway. I have the same problem. Found beautiful pics but dont know where they are. Think next year I am going to do a guide of where to go, with contact details, rates and directions. Or would that take all the fun out of it????
Hey guys, after one week ‘time out’ in my favourite resort since 25 years (!) (believe it or not?!) (PARADISE ISLAND PARK AND BEACH RESORT) - I like to thank at first SOICHIRO in Tokyo for his comment. Of course, I have visited TALIKUD ISLAND already during a one day boat tour. It has been an unforgettable adventure.
Hi Carolynn, my friend just left for Germany for important publisher’s meetings, conferences and editorial works. There will be some rooms available in near future. Since I living in Davao, my family and me tried to avoid long travellings. We really enjoyed time out on Samal Island, one of the most pearls here in Mindanao.
Hi Bob, thanks for your comment. We are all still looking forward your idea and wish…